#9 Luca Toni ~ Offered new contract

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Toni Back In Training

Bayern Munich's personnel situation has improved with just three days to go ahead of the start of the season with the news that star striker Luca Toni has recommenced training.

Bayern's most prolific marksman was forced to sit out almost the entire pre-season due to a calf injury, but now has recovered enough to undergo some drills and a little bit of ball-work with the rest of the team.

There are still serious doubts about whether he will be deemed to be fit enough to be in the squad to face Hamburger SV in the season opener on Friday, however.

The prognosis surrounding Tim Borowski looks even more promising ahead of the official Bundesliga curtain-raiser.

“The recovery process is going really well,” said Borowski, who has been struggling with a knee injury.

“I’m making good progress and I hope it’ll work out,“ he added.

“The main thing is that the ligament recovers the strength and stability it had in the past.“

Marcell Jansen is also listed as touch-and-go, though Franck Ribery, Willy Sagnol, Martin Demichelis and Hans Jorg Butt still face quite some time on the disabled list.

Goal.com - Bayern Munich - Toni Back In Training

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Bayern Munich's star striker Luca Toni has just narrowly lost his race for fitness in time for the Bundesliga season opener on Friday.

There had been hope that the Italian would at least be able to make the bench against Hamburger SV, after he was able to recommence team training this week, but Jürgen Klinsmann has now confirmed that he is not quite sufficiently recovered from his calf injury yet.

"Luca will miss out even though he was able to do quite a lot in training this week," said the Bayern boss. "We're going to reintroduce him gradually."

Toni, Franck Ribery, Willy Sagnol, Martin Demichelis and Jörg Butt make up a lengthy disabled list for the German record champions, but Klinsmann is convinced that they still have enough quality to get off to to a winning start against Hamburg.

Klinsmann did say that Tim Borowski should be fit to feature against HSV, while he was optimistic about Marcell Jansen as well.

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Goal.com - Bayern Munich - Season Start Comes Too Soon For Toni

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It's okay. We can compensate for his absence.

At least he's recovering well.

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Ribéry And Toni On The Mend

Watch out Bundesliga defenders, your worst nightmare is about to return with news that Franck Ribéry and Luca Toni are both well on the way to recovering from injury.

Last season’s Bundesliga top-scorer, Luca Toni, looks poised to make a return to the team at the weekend against Borussia Dortmund after recovering from his calf knock. The Italian hit-man has now made a full return to training.

“It looks good with regards Luca” Bayern trainer Jürgen Klinsmann admitted to the club’s official website. “We hope to have him back on board for Saturday. Then things will start to look a little different” he added, alluding to the perceived poor start Bayern have made to the new season.

Bundesliga Player of the Year Franck Ribéry is also on the road to recovery from his ankle ligament injury he suffered at the European Championships. It is thought he will be able to start light training this weekend.

His return to full training and then first team action is only a matter of time. “We’re talking about weeks not months” Klinsmann explained.

The absence of Toni, Ribéry, Demichelis, and Hamit Altintop against Hamburg on Friday was acutely felt by the Bavarians and they could only manage a 2-2 draw against an impressive HSV side.

“We miss the presence of those players” Klinsmann reflected.

“Just having them on the pitch makes the opponents respect you even more. But we will make the best out of the current situation.”

Goal.com - Bayern Munich - Ribéry And Toni On The Mend

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Bayern striker Toni hopes to end career in Italy

Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni has spoken of his desire to end his playing career in his native Italy, despite describing life in Munich as 'perfect'.

The 31-year-old Italian international joined the Bavarian giants last season and was a vital part of the team hitting 24 goals in 31 appearances as Bayern secured the Bundesliga title and German cup.

However, the World Cup winner feels he has 'unfinished business' back in Italy.

Toni told Germany's Zeit newspaper: 'I think I will end my career in Italy. I am stuck on 99 goals in Italy and I would like to reach 100 in Serie A, but there is still a lot of time.'

However, the decision to return to his homeland will be tough one for Toni who admits to enjoying life in the German capital: 'Everything is so perfect in Munich: it is clean and safe. I wish my home city of Modena could have such high standards of safety.'

The former Fiorentina star's admission that he sees his career drawing to an end in Italy will pique the interest of Serie A clubs, who could consider making a move for the 2006 Serie A top scorer.

A calf strain ruled the striker out of all Bayern's pre-season games and the first game of the season, last Friday's 2-2 draw with Hamburg, though Toni is expected to feature in Saturday's Bundesliga clash with Borussia Dortmund.

ESPNsoccernet - Europe - Bayern striker Toni hopes to end career in Italy

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I think this season will be the last season for Toni in Bayern.
He want to back to italy and his dream their to reach the 100 Goals ( He has 94Goals in Serie A )

[YaFCBoy]

Originally Posted by RunX

I think this season will be the last season for Toni in Bayern.
He want to back to italy and his dream their to reach the 100 Goals ( He has 94Goals in Serie A )

Pssst! Read the article: 99 goals....


Toni leaving after this season is fine with me. We can then make a move for Gomez and have he and Podolski up front. (Still just as threatening!)

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Toni Fit To Face Dortmund

Bayern Munich fans can look forward to the prospect of having Luca Toni back leading the line against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

The World Cup winner just narrowly lost his race for fitness in time for the Bundesliga season opener last weekend, and thus was powerless to prevent his side from dropping points at home to Hamburger SV.

Now, having finally shaken off the last remnants of a calf injury, the 31-year-old is positively tugging at the leash ahead of the hotly anticipated contest against their bitter rivals.

“I’m feeling fit and hopeful of playing,” Luca Toni told the club's official website on Thursday

“I’m desperate to play, I want to feel the adrenaline flowing. I’m determined to score on Saturday.“

Goal.com - Bayern Munich - Toni Fit To Face Dortmund

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First-timer at 31
Toni set for maiden Champions League outing

As of last week, the north-east Bavarian town of Erdenbürg boasts a newborn citizen with the given names “Luca“ and “Toni“, according to the register of births published in the Oberpfälzer Zeitung. It is perhaps unsurprising that the names Luca and Toni are growing in local popularity, as the striker of the same name is powering his way into the Bayern Munich record books with a phenomenal 55 scorer points – 42 goals and 13 assists – in 50 competitive appearances since joining the club a little over a year ago.

After missing the early matches this term with injury, the Italian has scored three goals and provided one assist in three Bundesliga outings so far, including a brace and a lay-off in the 3-0 victory over FC Köln last Saturday.

Deadly marksman

“Luca’s sheer physical presence makes him incredibly hard to stop,” coach Jürgen Klinsmann commented after Toni muscled his way to the opening headed (or more precisely shouldered) goal in Cologne. “He instinctively knows where the ball’s going to go. He has a nose for goal and tremendous positional sense. And he doesn’t stop to think, he just puts it in, with his shoulder, his left, his right, whatever.“

“You could kick him out of bed at three in the morning and put him in the penalty box, he’d still score goals,” grinned Uli Hoeneß after Saturday’s match. Bayern and Toni make a great team, the general manager believes. “I sense Munich feels more and more like home for Luca,” he mused. The Italian certainly seems better loved in Germany than in Italy at the present time.

Flak from home

“I’ve taken a lot of stick ever since I moved abroad. If Italy lose or are knocked out of the Euro, Toni’s to blame,” the player lamented. Luca last scored for his country back in February. “It’s hardly optimal,” he conceded, begging his fellow countrymen to be patient: “All strikers go through bad patches, but it’ll definitely pass.“

Hoeneß believes Klinsmann’s attacking tactics simply better suit the goal-getter. “He gets more support here. We force our opponents onto the back foot and there’s lots of goalmouth action. Italy just punt long balls forward, no-one comes up in support, and he’s left all alone in a wide open space,” said the official.

Champions League virgin

In any case, Toni’s current focus is firmly and exclusively trained on Bucharest, where the 31-year-old is finally set for a maiden Champions League appearance. “I can hardly wait,” he exclaimed. “Luca is totally fired up for the Champions League,” revealed Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, “he was gearing himself up for Bucharest straight after the match on Saturday.“

“Everyone wants to play in the Champions League,” Toni declared, “I’m really looking forward to the atmosphere and hearing the Champions League anthem.“ The striker only knows the elite league’s hymn from the TV, he confessed. “My goal is for us to get as far as possible. My dream is to win it.“

In search of ‘vital goals’

Toni is hoping to realise his dream by netting goals. “I’ll do everything in my power to score,” he promised. “Vital goals“ were more important than the quantity, he feels, and he is a specialist in this respect: he has been involved in an opening goal for Bayern on 28 occasions (18 goals, 10 assists). Almost certainly, the many young Lucas and Tonis likely to be born in Bavaria in the months and years to come will one day look to their namesake’s playing record with a sense of awe and admiration.

FC Bayern

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Toni Relishes Viola Reunion

Fiorentina will face a daunting trip to Munich to take on Bayern in the Champions League on October 21 and Luca Toni feels it will be an emotional match.

The powerful striker plied his trade in Florence from 2005 to 2007, scoring 47 goals for the Viola.

Despite being chased by a host of European clubs after the World Cup in 2006, the ex-Palermo hitman decided to stay put in Tuscany to help out the Gigliati, after they were hit with a heavy points deduction in the wake of Calciopoli.

His move finally materialized last year, and he opted to shun Italian clubs, out of respect for his former supporters, and relocated to Germany.

He took the Bundesliga by storm last term, hitting the back of the net 24 times for the Bavarians, who are finding it hard to come out of the blocks this season.

"We have 9 points," stated Luca during an APT meeting in Modena.

"It is true we have some problems, but the campaign is still young. As for me, I don't think I'm going through a tough spell. I still managed to score 3 goals, but it is probably my reputation that authorizes to ask more of me, after my 39 goals last term."

The upcoming encounter with Fiorentina in the premier European competition will certainly be a special day for Toni.

"It will be an emotional match," mused Luca.

"I had a great rapport with the Viola, the Della Valle brothers and Cesare Prandelli, so it will be nice to meet up with them again."

Goal.com - Bayern Munich - Toni Relishes Viola Reunion

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Toni In Doubt For Viola Clash

Bayern Munich host Fiorentina at the Allianz Arena in the Champions League next Tuesday, but former Gigliati marksman Luca Toni could be forced to sit out the match after picking up an injury during the Bundesliga game with Karlsruhe.

The towering Azzurri hitman was replaced in the first half after allegedly reporting muscular problems. In the 40th minute, Toni committed a foul on the edge of the box and soon after asked to be substituted.

Bayern medical staff claims that he suffered a rib contusion and now a big question mark hangs over his presence in the crunch match with the side that first shot him to fame.

However, coach Jurgen Klinsmann is confident that Luca will do all he can to recover in time to face his former teammates.

"He is clearly a major doubt, but he is really eager to play against his former companions," the ex-Germany tactician is quoted as saying in the Gazzetta dello Sport.

And the 31-year-old forward also voiced his frustration at this setback just before the vital Champions League encounter with the Gigliati.

"I picked up a knock to my chest, and then I felt pain in my back while I was chasing a ball," he told the Gazzetta from his Munich home.

"I was struggling to breathe and in a lot of pain. We will evaluate the situation tomorrow, but this is certainly such a heavy blow before the game with Fiorentina. However, I am not giving up and I will do anything to recuperate."

The former Palermo striker is currently going through an unusual tough spell and has not scored for the Bavarians since September 13. Moreover, he seems to be sliding down the pecking order in the Nazionale, with Marcello Lippi giving the nod to Fiorentina's reborn hitman Alberto Gilardino in the recent 2010 World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and Montenegro.

Goal.com - Bayern Munich - Toni In Doubt For Viola Clash

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Toni struggling with rib injury

Luca Toni may miss out on facing off against his former club Fiorentina in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The FC Bayern forward was unable to take part in Sunday training after bruising his ribs in the matchday 8 victory at Karlsruher SC.

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

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Striker in pain from bruised ribs

Bayern striker Luca Toni is in danger of missing out on Tuesday’s reunion with his former club AC Fiorentina. With just two days to go until the Champions League clash in Munich, the World Cup winner was forced to sit out Sunday’s FCB squad training programme after sustaining painful bruising to the ribs in the previous afternoon’s Bundesliga victory away to Karlsruhe.

“We’ll take each day as it comes. Obviously, we’re hoping he’s fit to face his former club. He’s totally fired up for the match,” commented Bayern boss Jürgen Klinsmann on Sunday. Toni, substituted after 40 minutes of the 1-0 win in Karlsruhe, will receive intensive treatment right up until kick-off on Tuesday.

The 31-year-old is now in a race against time to be fit for the European showdown.

FC Bayern

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Question-mark over reunion
Toni ‘utterly fired up’ for European clash

“Markus!“ shouted Luca Toni, impatiently tapping his left wrist as he waited for FCB Media Director Markus Hörwick to take the seat next to him at Monday’s scheduled news conference. On the eve of Bayern’s Champions League showdown with AC Fiorentina, it was obvious to all and sundry that Toni cannot wait for the game to begin.

“Obviously, it’s a very special match for me,” the striker declared, making no secret of his delight at the prospect of facing his former club. Toni appeared for the Florence outfit from 2005 to 2007, “two wonderful seasons“ which brought him 47 goals in 67 league appearances, and the Golden Shoe as the continent’s leading scorer in 2006. “But for all that, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure Bayern win tomorrow,“ he said. Jürgen Klinsmann described his hitman as “totally fired up.“

Question-mark remains

With just 24 hours to go until kick-off at the Allianz Arena, the Italian remains doubtful for the clash with the Serie A giants. “I’m pretty confident he’ll make it, but it’s not 100 percent certain,” Klinsmann reported. Toni suffered bruised ribs in the first half of Bayern’s 1-0 win in Karlsruhe at the weekend.

“The medics are working flat out,” continued Klinsmann, who will leave the decision as to whether to risk the striker until as late as possible on matchday. The Italian was at least fit enough to play a part in Bayern’s final pre-match training session. “I’ll do whatever it takes to play,” promised Toni, “I just hope it works out.“

In search of first goal

Should Toni be passed fit, he will definitely start Tuesday’s game, Klinsmann confirmed. “Sometimes you only need 20 percent fitness to score,” the player remarked, naturally hoping to hit the target against his former club. In his debut Champions League season, Toni has shot at goal more times than any of his team-mates (6), but he has yet to open his account in Europe’s elite club competition.

“I’m sure Luca will play, and I even want him to score, although I’m hoping I get one more than him,” quipped Alberto Gilardino, Toni’s successor in Florence. The pair are friends and rivals in the Italian national team. “We have a great relationship,” revealed Toni, “but tomorrow we’re opponents.“

Former love

Toni maintains friendly contacts with a number of personalities at the Tuscan club: “I’m still in touch with them, from the President through to the kitman.“ However, the striker was unable to say how he would be received by the 5,000 expected to follow their team from Italy to Munich: “We’ll find out tomorrow.“

Many commentators in Florence regard the meeting with Bayern as “a rendezvous with a former lover,” according to sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport. That naturally means mixed feelings, as Fiorentina managing director Sandro Mencucci joked, recommending Toni drop his trademark hand-cupped-to-ear goal celebration. “If he scores against us and celebrates like that, I’ll cut his ear off.“ Toni had a crack ready in reply: “It wouldn’t be so bad. I play with my feet.“

FC Bayern